When You Come Home
by Connor Chang
Summary: Shinji has a nightmare and calls Misato while she's away. Misato x Shinji one shot. WARNING: Near-toxic levels of fluff ahead.


**When You Come Home **by Connor Chang  
>Based on <em>Neon Genesis Evangelion<em> created by Hideaki Anno

* * *

><p>Major Misato Katsuragi made NERV's and SEELE's dirty secrets public on December 9, 2015, prompting an aggressive investigation by the United Nations armed forces. Weapons were drawn and severe threats made, but no blood was spilt. Several key NERV personnel, including Commander Gendo Ikari, were arrested. NERV's remaining Evangelion units became property of the UN, and Adam and Lilith were destroyed.<p>

In the months that followed, NERV was gradually reduced to a shell of its former self. SEELE's members went into hiding. The remaining prophesied Angels never appeared.

For the first time in ages, peace prevailed.

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><p><strong>Tokyo-3, Japan – December 21, 2016 – 4:01 A.M.<strong>

Shinji Ikari woke up screaming in a pool of sweat, tears streaming down his terrified face. He was so panicked that he couldn't immediately tell that what he had just experienced was only a nightmare. Immediately, he grabbed his cell phone from the side table next to his bed, and dialed a number from his contacts list, all the while hyperventilating and further tearing up.

The phone on the other end of the line rang for what seemed like forever before someone picked up.

"_Hello?_" Misato Katsuragi cheerfully answered.

Shinji wept profusely in relief. "Misato! Thank God!"

"_Shinji?_" The woman's voice immediately became tinged with worry. "_Shinji, are you okay?_"

"You're still alive," Shinji whimpered, wiping his eyes.

"_Of course I'm alive, Shinji,_" Misato assured him. "_What happened?_"

Shinji sniffled, and tried to slow his breathing. "I-I'm sorry, I just…"

"_No, don't be sorry, honey. Tell me what's going on._"

"…I had a nightmare."

"_Oh, no,_" Misato whispered. "_Are you okay?_"

Shinji managed to breathe normally. "Y-yeah, I'm fine now. Now that I know you're alright."

"_Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry,_" Misato cooed. "_Do you want to talk about it? It's okay if you don't._"

"It's fine." Shinji paused, collecting his thoughts. "We were…" He swallowed. "We were at NERV, and we'd gotten into a fight with those soldiers from the UN. You got shot, and you were bleeding. A lot. I didn't make it to you in time…"

"_...Shinji, listen to me,_" Misato said calmly. "_It was just a dream._ _That didn't happen. I'm still alive, and so is everybody else. Rei, Asuka, Ritsuko, Maya – everyone's alive. Nobody fired a single shot. We won; we made it. Remember?_"

"…yeah, I remember," Shinji replied, blinking away the residual blurriness.

"_Good._" Misato sighed. "_Oh, Shinji…I'm sorry I can't be there next to you right now. I know talking on the phone can only help you so much._"

"It's okay, Misato." Shinji smiled sadly. "Just hearing your voice makes me feel better."

"_I'm glad that it does. But I promise that once I get back, I'll make up for lost time in the hugging and kissing departments._" Misato's chuckle at the end lifted Shinji's spirits.

"I'm looking forward to it." Shinji blushed.

"_Hang in there, tough guy,_" Misato said in an encouraging tone. "_I'll be home in just two days. And just in time for our big date on Christmas Eve!_"

"That's right," Shinji said. "I can't wait."

There was a brief silence on Misato's end.

"_I love you, Shinji. You know that, right?_"

Shinji nodded, even though Misato couldn't see. "I know. I love you, too, Misato."

"_Good. Now, do you think you can get back to sleep, or do you need me to talk to you for a bit longer?_" Misato asked. "_I've got all the time in the world, so don't worry._"

"I think I can get back to sleep, probably."

"_You sure?_"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Though I might get a drink of water or something first. I'm not sure I can fall asleep right away."

"_Good idea. Just don't stay up too late._"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I won't. I'll talk to you again tomorrow night."

"_Okay._" Shinji could almost hear Misato smile. "_Shinji, you're a brave kid. Braver than anyone else I've ever known._"

Shinji's blush deepened. "I love you so much, Misato."

"_I love you, too, Shinji. Sleep well._"

"Good night, Misato. You, too."

Just as Shinji hung up, there was a knock at the door.

"Shinji, can I come in?" a sweet, soothing voice said from the hallway.

"Yes," Shinji answered, "come in."

The door to Shinji's room opened, and in stepped Yui Ikari, wearing a look of concern.

Once the partially disintegrated corpses of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Angels were discovered in Earth's orbit, and the Seventeenth Angel was found dead in an apparent suicide, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi had set to work on extracting Yui's body and soul from Evangelion Unit-01. It had been several months now since Yui had come out of the Eva alive and well, and moved into the apartment next to Misato's with Shinji and Rei, who joined at Yui's insistence.

"Is everything okay, Shinji?" the elegant woman asked her son as she approached his bedside.

"I'm fine, Mom." Shinji exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "Just a bad dream. I had to call Misato to make sure that she was alright."

Yui sat beside Shinji and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Can you tell me what happened in your dream?"

Shinji proceeded to detail the events of his nightmare and the ensuing phone call to his mother, after which she pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"Don't worry, Shinji," Yui soothed. "It was only a dream. Misato's still alive, and she'll be home soon."

"I know," Shinji murmured.

"You know how much she loves you."

Yui had come back from Unit-01 the same age as when she had been absorbed, and as such was almost three years younger than Misato. Naturally, Shinji and Misato had worried about how Yui would react to their relationship, but Yui had known all along just how much the two meant to each other – given her access to Shinji's thoughts inside the Eva – and gave them her blessing.

"I know," Shinji repeated, nuzzling into his mother's shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Berlin, Germany – December 20, 2016 – 8:05 P.M.<strong>

Misato sighed heavily as she stowed her phone away in her pocket and leaned back against the wall just outside the entrance to the restaurant where she would be having dinner. The day had been one of the most boring in her life, the second part of a three-day conference to determine whether or not the Evangelions should be destroyed. Misato wanted the monsters gone forever, especially now that Shinji's mother had been removed from Unit-01, but bureaucracy was a harsh mistress.

Misato shook off her weariness as best she could, and went back inside to a table occupied by two others.

"You alright, Misato?" Ritsuko asked. She could see the slight hint of unease in her old friend's countenance.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Misato replied. "Sorry, that was Shinji. He had a pretty bad nightmare, so I calmed him down."

"That kid's been through more in a year and a half than most people go through in a decade," the third person said. "He's allowed."

Misato rested an elbow on the table and propped her head up, groaning slightly. "I don't know if I can hold out for another whole day. I want to go home and give him a big hug and tell him that everything's okay."

"He'll be fine," Ritsuko assured Misato. "He's a strong kid. Besides, Yui's with him. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I wouldn't say she has nothing to worry about… After all, Asuka or the First might have tried to move in on her turf," the third person joked. "I'd watch out."

Misato rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Kaj-" She quickly cut herself off. "Marcel. Very funny, Marcel."

Misato's former lover, now sans ponytail and with a full beard, wagged a finger at the purple-haired woman as if she were a naughty child. "Tsk, tsk… I didn't fake my own death for nothing, you know."

"And you're still an asshole for not telling me sooner," Misato softly growled.

* * *

><p><strong>Tokyo Haneda Airport – December 23, 2016 – 7:23 P.M.<strong>

"You and Misato had better not be getting too lovey-dovey on me when she gets here, Third," Asuka warned Shinji, crossing her arms. "It's only been three days."

"Yeah, and I had a nightmare where she _died_," Shinji retorted. "I think I'm allowed to be just a little bit clingy for once."

"I concur with Ikari," Rei said in her usual monotone. "It would not be inappropriate to show increased affection for a loved one in the event of a distressing experience." Her grasp of human emotions was improving, but she was still Rei, after all.

Asuka groaned. "Fine, but nothing indecent. Save that for- in fact, just don't do that, period."

"I know, I know," Shinji sighed. "It's against the law, anyway."

"You're damn right it's against the law. _Um Himmels Willen!_"

"Now, now, kids," Yui said, ruffling Shinji's and Asuka's hair. Asuka tensed up and blushed furiously, still not quite used to Yui's motherly tendencies.

The four perked up when they saw two familiar figures descending the escalator from the international terminal. Misato recognized her friends almost immediately, and waved her arm enthusiastically; Ritsuko gave a short wave as well. The four responded in kind, and Rei even smiled as she did so.

Once Misato and Ritsuko reached ground level, Shinji was the first to approach. Misato wrapped the boy up in a loving embrace and kissed him on the top of his head. At some point, he wouldn't be short enough for her to do that, so she had to relish the opportunities while she could. Shinji hugged back tightly, not wanting to let go.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Shinji meekly said.

"Of course I'm alright," Misato replied, before tilting the boy's head up and gently brushing her lips against his. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Shinji blushed deeply and smiled. "Welcome home."

Asuka made a disgusted noise. "What did I say about being indecent?"

Misato merely laughed, and Shinji soon joined in.


End file.
